Dietary Impact of Seaweed Consumption

One of the most essential minerals that you must get from your diet is iodine. There is a large part of the population at risk of iodine deficiency which can lead to the swelling of the thyroid gland causing fatigue, muscle weakness, constipation, depression and weight gain. Here Evangelyn Rodriguez, NaturalNews.com, reflects on edible seaweed for improved thyroid health:

“Seaweed is a type of alga that grows in the sea. Not only is it a food source for some forms of marine life, it also serves as a source of nutrition for humans. Seaweed is known for containing high amounts of iodine, an essential mineral used by the body to produce thyroid hormones. These hormones, in turn, help control metabolism and bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy.

In a new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers from Denmark and Greenland investigated the iodine content and dietary impact of edible seaweed. They found that two species of seaweed common in the Arctic, namely Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) and Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack), are excellent sources of iodine and can help people in that region meet their dietary iodine requirements.

Seaweed as a source of iodine for Arctic people

Dietary iodine is important for the maintenance of human health. Besides being a requirement for important bodily functions, it is an established fact that people with either low or high iodine intake are at great risk of developing diseases.

Seaweed is naturally rich in iodine and is a common component of Asian and Arctic cuisines. But while the impact of seaweed intake is well-studied in Asian populations, its effect on the health of Arctic people has not been explored.

To address this, the researchers first measured the iodine content of dietary seaweeds from East Greenland. They then gave eight individuals 45 grams of seaweed to ingest and analyzed their urine samples to determine iodine absorption and the dietary impact of seaweed consumption.

The researchers also collected samples from Inuits living on Ammassalik, an island in southeastern Greenland. Adults aged 50 to 69 reported the frequency of their seaweed intake and provided spot urine samples for iodine measurement.

The researchers reported that C. crispus and A. nodosum contained 47 and 102 milligrams (mg) of iodine per gram, respectively. Within two days, an estimated 1.1 and 1.9 mg of the 2.1 and 4.6 mg of iodine ingested by the participants were excreted by them in their urine.

Two in three Inuits reported eating seaweed, and 41 percent (109 of 268) reported eating seaweed weekly. Their seaweed intake was associated with their iodine excretion.”

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